Salvation or Damnation by Faith Alone: Part One
May 6th 2011 17:03
I recently went through the book of James with our church and am now in the book of Romans. Those two are a very interesting when put together. James clarifies the things Paul already said in Romans, making it as clear as one can. Of course, Romans was written by Paul, who was a well-educated and very wordy writer.(As am I, wordy that is.) As is usually the case, I found things in Romans that I hadn’t seen before. Or, more accurately, hadn’t seen in that way before.
Romans 3:25 says that God provided Christ as a sacrifice to pay for our sins and that it is through faith in him than one can be saved. It goes on to say that God did this to show us how His justice works. The most interesting thing, the one thing that has been bugging me and nagging at the corners of my mind is the way that verse ends: “because in His forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished”. Wow. I knew this in a broad and vague sense from the following verses:
There are probably more of them, but that is all I can recall at present. I guess I basically thought that Christ ‘descended’ or went wherever Abraham’s Bosom was after his death, (or maybe even after resurrection though unlikely) to redeem those who had previously died holding onto the Jewish faith in the coming Messiah. He had to leave those sins unpunished for several reasons I think. First, he promised to redeem them. Second, the law they attempted to fulfill was meant to SHOW them how much they needed a Savior, not to EARN their salvation for themselves. And lastly, because God himself made sure that many of the Jews of the day would NOT recognize Christ as the Savior.
That is the key that brings it all together. God cannot and will not punish the Jews for their failure to keep the law. He promised that from the beginning of the covenant. He cannot and will not punish ANYONE for their failure to keep the law. Punishment comes ONLY in our failure to recognize that we need a savior and cannot keep the law. Faith in our own failure and in our need to be saved is all it takes. Saying ‘all it takes’ seems to trivialize the matter, but in fact, it is an almost insurmountable mountain for most humans to climb. Having faith that we have failed and need to be redeemed and are redeemed in God through the Messiah is not an easy task. It takes a degree of humility that few humans can accomplish well. Thankfully, God does not expect us to do it well, He is glad when we have any amount of faith in that premise at all.
So, exactly why did He blind most of the Jewish people and how does that relate to us? Next blog. :0)
Romans 3:25 says that God provided Christ as a sacrifice to pay for our sins and that it is through faith in him than one can be saved. It goes on to say that God did this to show us how His justice works. The most interesting thing, the one thing that has been bugging me and nagging at the corners of my mind is the way that verse ends: “because in His forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished”. Wow. I knew this in a broad and vague sense from the following verses:
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. - Luk 16:22-23 KJV
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, - Luk 4:18 NIV
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. - Gal 3:23 NIV
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. - Hbr 9:15 NIV
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, - Luk 4:18 NIV
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. - Gal 3:23 NIV
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. - Hbr 9:15 NIV
There are probably more of them, but that is all I can recall at present. I guess I basically thought that Christ ‘descended’ or went wherever Abraham’s Bosom was after his death, (or maybe even after resurrection though unlikely) to redeem those who had previously died holding onto the Jewish faith in the coming Messiah. He had to leave those sins unpunished for several reasons I think. First, he promised to redeem them. Second, the law they attempted to fulfill was meant to SHOW them how much they needed a Savior, not to EARN their salvation for themselves. And lastly, because God himself made sure that many of the Jews of the day would NOT recognize Christ as the Savior.
Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." - Jhn 12:36-40 NIV
That is the key that brings it all together. God cannot and will not punish the Jews for their failure to keep the law. He promised that from the beginning of the covenant. He cannot and will not punish ANYONE for their failure to keep the law. Punishment comes ONLY in our failure to recognize that we need a savior and cannot keep the law. Faith in our own failure and in our need to be saved is all it takes. Saying ‘all it takes’ seems to trivialize the matter, but in fact, it is an almost insurmountable mountain for most humans to climb. Having faith that we have failed and need to be redeemed and are redeemed in God through the Messiah is not an easy task. It takes a degree of humility that few humans can accomplish well. Thankfully, God does not expect us to do it well, He is glad when we have any amount of faith in that premise at all.
So, exactly why did He blind most of the Jewish people and how does that relate to us? Next blog. :0)
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